Device for loading dirtj gravel



(No Model.)

T. E. LAWRENCE 8: A. R. COOPER.

DEVICE FOR LOADING DIRT, GRAVEL, &c., ONTO WAGONS. No. 599,340.

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THOMAS E. LAWRENCE AND ASHLEY R. COOPER, OF MOORESVILLE, INDIANA.

OEVECE FOR LOADlNG DiRT, GRAVEL, &C., ONTO WAGONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,340, dated February 22, 1898.

Application filed May 20, 1897.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS E. LAWRENCE and ASHLEY R. COOPER, citizens of the United States, residing at Mooresville, in the county of Morgan and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Loading Dirt, Gravel, &c., onto \Vagons 3 and we do hereby declare the-following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in means for loading sand, gravel, and dirt into wagons or onto cars or other receivers standing above the material to be loaded and requiring the elevation of that material from a lower to a higher level. The common practice heretofore has been to raise the material a shovelf ul at a time by hand, which is a very laborious process and a slow and consequently expensive one on account of the small quantity of the material being moved which can be handled at a shovelful.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby the dirt or other material can be moved from its bed by means of a scraper drawn by horses and loaded onto a wagon or other elevated receptacle.

\Ve accomplish the objects of the invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a view in perspective of our improved loading device, showing a scraper filled with dirt and about to be drawn by a team of horses up the inclined track onto the wagon, where it will be dumped. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the inclined track and a portion of the wagon shown in Fig. 1. The hinged pulley-bar is broken away in part in this view to show the king bolt, by which a lateral adjustment of the inclined track is obtained. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the wagon-bed in cross-section and showing the upper end of the inclined track with the scraper or scoop drawn up into position where it begins to upset in order to dump its load. The dotted lines show the position of the scraper and its connections when the scraper is fully upset or in its dumping position.

Fig. 4: is a detail in vertical section of the $erial No. 637,311. (No model.)

parts shown in Fig. 3 on a plane passing between the two inclined tracks and through the scraper and shows the latter partly ele vated into its dumping position. i Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the inclined track on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4a

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

A represents a wagon of usual construction, and Bis a bar which rests on the top edge of one of the sides of the wagon-bed and is held in place by means of the ears I), which prevent lateral displacement, but permit of the longitudinal sliding movement of the bar upon the side of the bed. Integral with the bar Bare the two laterally-proj ected parallel arms B of such length as to reach from one side of the bed to the other and to project over and beyond the side of the bed opposite that on which the bar Bis placed. The arms B are made long enough to insure reaching across extra wide beds.

O is a bar which rests on top of the bar B and is pivotally secured to the bar by means of the centrally-placed king-bolt c. Resting upon the bar O are the two parallel inclined tracks D, placed equidistant from the bolt 0 and fastened rigidly to the bar O. The tracks D have the outside upwardly projected flanges D to give them rigidity and strength and also to serve as guards to keep the scraper which travels up and down the track from leaving same. The lower ends of the tracks D rest upon the ground and are connected by means of the transverse plate E, the ends of which plate are bent up at approximately right angles to the plate to form the guards E, the principal function of which is to guide the scraper into right position preparatory to its being drawn up the inclined tracks. These plates E are set at an angle toward each other, whereby a funnel-shaped mouth will be produced, which will better guide the incoming scraper and bring it into proper alinement with the tracks.

F is the scraper or scoop, which is of the usual construction used for excavating and grading, except that each side will be provided with afriction roller or wheel G. These wheels Gr bear upon the tracks D and very materially lessen the friction in the travel of the scraper up and down the tracks.

H is a cable, one end of which is fastened to the scraper and the other end of which is connected with some kind of power located on the opposite side of the wagon from the tracks, which is capable of pulling the scraper up the tracks by drawing on the cable. This power, as shown in the drawings, is a team of horses which is hitched to the cable, but it is obvious that the cable might be fastened to a Windlass or a drum turned by steam, hand, or other power without departing from the spirit of this invention.

I is a pulley mounted at the end of the upwardly-cranked barJ. This bar J is integral with the cross-head J, and the latter is pivoted between the parallel arms B, whereby vertical movement of the bar J and the attached pulley I will be permitted. The bar J is supported by resting on the bar 0. The cable H passes over the pulley I, and when the scraper F, filled with dirt or gravel, is being drawn up the inclined track the pressure on the pulley will be downward. Placed in each track, near the upper end of same, are

obstructions d, shown in the drawings as pins, which engage the front edge of the scraper and arrest its forward movement; but before the obstructions d are reached the pivoted bail g of the scraper F has come in contact with the pulley-bar J, and both bail and bar have been elevated into the position shown in Fig. 3 by the continued forward movement of the cable, and if the pull on the cable is persisted in the scraper will begin to upset, as shown in Fig. 4, and will continue to turn until it is arrested by the standards K, the inwardly-bent ends of which catch the bail and lock the scraper in the position shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 3. In this position the contents of the scraper is dumped into the wagon below. After the load is dumped and the cable is loosened up the scraper drops back again onto the tracks, and to make this return action positive and certain we prefer to make the standards (one or both of them) pivotally secured to the flange D of the track D. This pivoted arm will be normally inclined toward the approaching scraper and will be held in this normal position by a spring L, which bears against the arm extension W from the hub of the pivoted arm K. When the scraper is pulled over against the arm, the spring will be compressed and the arm will revolve until checked by contact with the lug 61 When the cable is released after the load has been dumped, the tension of the compressed spring will return the arm to its inclined position and by so doing will tip the scraper back, whereby it will drop by its own weight down onto the tracks.

By pivoting the tracks by means of the king-bolt c a lateral adjustment of the outer end will be secured, thereby permitting the scraper to operate over a wider range of surface without changing the position of the wagon or of the upper part of the mechanism on the Wagon-bed.

The heavy dotted lines in Fig. 2 show the position of the cable when the scraper is working out of central alinement with the tracks, which is quite permissible.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and wish to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In an excavating and loading device, an inclined track terminating above the vehicle to be loaded said track being mounted at its upper end on a swivel whereby the lower end of the track can be laterally adjusted, substantially as described and for the purposes specified.

2. In a device for the purposes specified, an inclined track mounted at its upper end on a swivel whereby its lower end can be laterally adjusted, said track terminating at its lower end with plates set at an angle to form a funnel-shaped mouth, as and for the purposes specified.

3. An inclined track for the purposes specified, pivoted at its upper end and having a funnel-shaped lower end, said track consisting of two straight equidistant strips with outside upwardly-projecting longitudinal flanges.

4:. The combination, with an inclined track having outside longitudinal upwardly-projected flanges to form guards, and a scraper traveling up and down the track, of stops near the upper end of the track to arrest the scraper, said scraper having a hinged bail, a cable fastened to the bail and actuated in a direction to upset the scraper when it is arrested by the stops, a bar pivoted atits lower end and having movement in a vertical plane parallel with the direction of travel of the scraper, said bar contacting with the bail to increase the elevatiouof said bail, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. In a device for loading sand, dirt (be. onto wagons and other elevated receptacles, the combination with an inclined track of a scraper traveling up and down the inclined track and adapted to be filled with the material to be loaded, projections from the track into the path of the scraper whereby the lower front edge of the scraper will be retarded, means for advancing the remainder of the scraper thereby causing it to upset and dump its load, said means consisting of the cable by which the scraper is drawn, a bail hinged to the scraper and to which the cable is connected and a pivoted, vertically-swinging bar over which the cable passes and which contacts with and accelerates the elevation of the bail, and standards to check the rotation of the scraper when it reaches an approximately vertical position and means for releasing the scraper after it has dumped and allowing it to drop back onto the track into the position it occupied prior to rotation, all substantially as described and for the purposes specified.

6. The combination, With an inclined track, return it to the track, all substantially as dehaving flanges to keep a carrier on the track, scribed and for the purposes specified. of a carrier consisting of a scraper mounted In testimony whereof We affiX our signaon wheels or rollers and having a hinged bail, tures in the presence of two witnesses. 5 a cable attached to the bail and adapted to draw the scraper up the track, projections from the track into the path of the scraper at the place Where the load contained in the \Vitnesses:

scraper is to he dumped and spring-actuated JOSEPH A. MINTURN,

10 standards to arrest the rotating scraper and F. WV. OERNER. 

